Timer device for load releasing means



Dec. 27, 1949 J. c. RUMSEY TIMER DEVICE FOR LOAD RELEASINGMEANS Filed Aug. 5, 1946 IN VEN TOR: J 6. Fax/775a ATTORNEY. A

Patented Dec. 27, 1949 oer-ice A TIMER DEVIGE FOR LQAD REE LEASING MEANS John C. Ramsey, Mission; Kan'si Application AugustS, 1946, Serial No. 688,478

' 2 Claims.

r 1 The present invention relates to timing devices whereby the operation of other mechanism or devices is withheld from taking place for a given predetermined interval, which may be varied of adjusted within suitable limits.

A special purpose of the invention is to provide an effective timing device for automatic load-releasing appliances of the type used in aerial transportation and which are operative to maintain a continuous and reliable holding and supporting. connection with the load and also include means operatin to insure a proper release of said supporting connection at the landing point or place of delivery of the load.

. One important feature'of the improved device is the provision of timing means which will be adapted to preserve a safe interval between the time of first application of the load as transmitted and under the pull of the parachute or carrier (following its release for landing purposes), and the final operation of the load-releasing means at the landing point or place of delivery of the load.

With the foregoing general objects view, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one practical and yet simple form of construction which has been devised and found suitable for the efficient embodiment of the proposed improve-- ments, after which those features and combinations deemed to be novel and patentable will be particularly setforth and claimed.

In the drawing- Figure l isa longitudinal sectional view, illustrating a load releasing appliance equipped with timing means constructed in accordance with the present invention; 7

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view, representinga section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l; and

v vFigure 3 is a similar detail view, representing.

a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

j The present application relates to improve-- ments in the subject matter set forth in my copending application Serial No. 681,395, filedv July 3, 1946, now Patent No. 2,489,819, dated July 3, 1946.

Accordingly the present drawing shows a load releasing appliance comprising a casing member Ill provided with a swivel link l2 for attachment to the cable or other supporting means suspended from a parachute or other transporting carrier (not shown). The casing l serves as a housing for enclosing a pair of coil spring elements, including a compression spring J4 which is seated in" and permanently secured within the lower end of said casing, and also a strong tension spring [8 the upper" end of which has an attachment 20' designed for detachable engagement with notches or recesses 22 formed at the upper end of a longitudinal $161; 24 provi'ded'along" one side of said casing I'll. This slot 24' permits the insertion of said spring is" into the interior of the casing for removable latchin and releasing purposes; and the lower end of said spring [8' is provided with an attachment' is making connection with a loop 28 designed to serve as a means of connection to the load which is to be releasably carried by the appliance.

The compression spring I4 is designed to serve as a yielding cushion fol" certain of the parts after these have been assembled in the operative and latched relationship illustrated, with the spring rs enclosed within the casing to, In this relation the spring I8 is maintained under a given tension by having its upper end anchored by means of the attachment 20 and its lower end drawn down by the link 28 and the latter then latched after having applied a certain degree of pressure to the other spring l4.

The lower portion of the casing m is formed with a pair of diagonal slots so on opposite sides. of the longitudinal 24, for accommodating the movement of the crossbar portion of attachment 26 when assembling the parts in relation just described,

The latching means for retainin the parts in the aforesaid relation consists of a semicyllm' drlcal element 32 pivoted at 34 to the sides of the casing I 0 and formed with notches 38' in its lower edge lor latching engagement with" said crossbar portion of the attachment 2B. A leaf spring 38 is attached as indicated at 40 to the upper end of said latch element 32 and tends to actuate the latter normally outward into unlatched position; a loop or keeper 42 on the casing It serves to limit said outward movement of the latch element 32. v

A leaf spring 45 is also anchored at 46 within the top portion of the casing It, with the lower end of said spring extending in position for engagement with the attachment 20 supporting the spring 18', and exerting thereon a pressuresufliclent to dislodgesaid attachment from the notches 2-2 when the pull on the spring I 8 falls below a given tension;

In the operation:v of the appliance as so fa described and as outlined in my aforementioned pending application, the load is designed toibe:

landing. When this takes placeand the load therefore taken up by a pull on the link 28, the

spring I4 is still further compressed, with the result that the latch 32 is released and therefore becomes automatically disengaged from the attachment 26 of the load supporting link 28. Thereafter during the continued flight of the load the same is supported bythe joint action of the two springs l4 and,l 8, and hence any variation in 4 the pull' of theIload will be automatically accommodated by corresponding or compensating spring action, within a, given limit as represented by a predetermined minimum pull of the load. Such predetermined limit corresponds to a retraction of the spring suflicient to bring the crossbar of attachment 26 to the upper end of the slots 30, when the pressure tending tohold the attachment 20 in position will be overcome by the action of the spring 45, which accordingly acts to eject or dislodge said attachment from the notches or recesses 22, thus leaving the parts carrying the load entirely unsupported ,and free, as explained in said copending application.

It is apparent that under some conditions, following the aforesaid disengagement of the link 28 from the latch element 32 and the release of the latter, abnormal air currents may be encountered which may relieve the load on the springs and produce such variations; in the pull of the load as to cause an untimely or premature disengagement of the upper spring 18 .from its support and without any actual ground contact for landing purposes.

Accordingly I have devised an improved timing device which will insure a predetermined time. interval toelapselbefore'any actual release of the latching element is allowed to take place. For this purpose I provide a detent arm 50 pivoted at 52 to a bracket 53 attached to the lower portion of the .casing I and havinga knee portion 54 for engagement with the latch. element 32. The free end of the arm 58 is adapted for sliding engagement through a loop or eye-56 formed on the end of a rod 58 projecting through an opening 59 in a housing member 60 which is fixedly mounted on the side of the casing It], said rod having its inner end secured to a transverse bar portion 62 operat ing slidingly through slots 64 in the sides of the housing 60. vThe inner end of the rod 58 is also connected witha coil spring t6. attached to the interior of the housing as indicated at 61 and operating to normally retract the rod within the casing for disengaging and releasing said detent arm 50. The retracting pull of said spring, however, is regulated by frictional means, comprising a block of suitable compressible material (such as a block of natural rubber) which is formed with a groove ii for embracing the rod 58 as indicated in Figures 2 and 3. -'I'he rubber block 18 is attached (as indicated at 12) to the end of a spring leaf 14 attached by rivets or the like to the interior of the housing 68; The degree of pressure exerted by said block upon the rod 58 is regulated by an adjusting screw 16 threaded through the wall of the housing into engagement with the leaf l4, and provided with a suitable clamping nut '18.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a definite and adjustable timing drag may be imposed upon said rod58 whereby the release of the detent arm 58 may be deferred for a predetermined interval, and the start of this interval is further controlled by means of an additional device comprising a detent element 88 pivoted at 82 to the side of the housing 68 in position for engagement with one end of the bar portion 62; and this detent element 80 is also connected with a link 84 operating slidingly through a suitable keeper element 86 and terminating in a hook portion 88 in the path of movement of the crossbar portion of the aforesaid attachment 26.

By means of this construction it will be seen that the same movement of the attachment which releases the latch element 32 also operates the detent 80 (by a pull on the link 84) to simultaneously release the crossbar 62 and thereby initiate the operation of the timing device; and as a consequence the final release of the detent 58 for also releasing the latch member 32 can not take place until after full retraction of the rod 58 as controlled by the timing device. Consequently a full interval of time (as set by the adjustment of said timing means) must elapse, following the start of the parachute drop, before any final release of the load supporting connections comprising the loop 28, attachment 26 and the supporting spring l8, can occur, such time interval being of course regulated by the adjustment of the screw 16 to embrace a suflicient period of time to guard against any premature release of the load due to abnormal air conditions as above referred to.

The end portions of the crossbar 62 are provided'with guiding washers 63, and their terminals may be formed with suitable finger loops (see Figure 2) adapted to facilitate the setting of the timer device with one end portion of said crossbar in latching engagement with the detent 80, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing it will therefore be apparent that I have devised a practical, simple and highly efiicient arrangement and construction for the carrying out of the aforesaid objects on my invention, including the provision of a compact and efficient type of timing means for regulating the operation of the load releasing appliance. It will moreover be obvious that the function of said timing device will be found very useful and practical in various other relations, aside from that shown in operative relation to load releasing appliances. I therefore desire to 60 be understood as expressly reserving the right to such other uses and applications of my improvements, as well as to all changes or modifications therein which may be fairly deemed to fall within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1s:

1. Load releasing means for releasing loads from parachute carriers and the like, comprising a main body member for attachment to the carrier, a link for attachment to the load and provided with a coil supporting spring detachably connected with said body member, means operating automatically as the load on said spring im-- parts thereto a given minimum tension for effecting detachment thereof from said body member, and timing means operating automatically as said spring is subjected to its maximum tension under the load for blocking said detaching operation for a given time interval.

2. Load releasing means for releasing loads from parachute carriers and the like, comprising a main body member for attachment tofthe carrier, a link for attachment to the loadf and provided with a coil supporting spring detachably connected with said body member, means operating automatically as the load on said spring imparts thereto a given minimum tension'jjfor efiecting detachment thereof from said body member, and timing means operating automatically as said spring is subjected to its maximum tension under the load for blocking said detach- 6 ing operation for a given time interval and including detent means released simultaneously as said spring reaches its maximum tension under the load for starting the operation ofsaid timing 5 means.

J OHN C. RUMSEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Porter May 14, 1948 

